Suturing is a common operation for closing surgical incisions. Suturing is also used to affix prostheses to target sites. However, suturing can present particular difficulties in laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery because those procedures take place entirety within a patient's body.
Some common devices deliver a suture to tissue within the body and fasten it by pushing one end of the suture through tissue and then pulling the same end back through the tissue. This leaves two ends of the suture on the side closest to the physician, who then ties the two ends together. Other devices are designed to deliver a suture that is structured to be cinched closed without tying a knot, but such sutures require time-consuming and difficult manipulation with endoscopic forceps or similar tools.
Since existing devices for laparoscopic suturing typically require difficult, time-consuming manipulation of the suture with forceps or other instruments, the incision must be kept open for a prolonged amount of time, which increases the risk of infection or other surgical complications. Further, tying these sutures closed requires difficult manipulation of small instruments, thus require a significant degree of expertise in operation